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If you’ve been following the pontificate of Benedict XVI, chances are you’ve heard of the “new evangelization.” You may even have heard that there’s a new Vatican office dedicated to it. But have you ever heard the president of the new office explain it?

In this feature-length interview which premiered on Easter, Salt + Light Television‘s Basilian Father Thomas Rosica sat down for an interview with the president of the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization, Archbishop Rino Fisichella. What follows is an engaging discussion on its meaning and what Archbishop Fisichella’s office is trying to accomplish. While some pastors may see it as just another program to be implemented by an overworked presbyterate, the archbishop calls the new evangelization a new way of approaching an old job — “a new work, a new language, a new enthusiasm for announcing the Gospel.”

I agree with Michael’s comment. This still hints of a pyramid approach where an international synod discusses the broad issues and lets the ‘locals’ work out afterwards any practical applications. Current online collaboration tools allow us to ‘build up’ from the grass roots. Prior to the synod in October what efforts are in place for a broad-based request to uncover and collate ‘best practices’ that actually have been working in specific localities, and what things aren’t working so well?